Australian Ants

Australian Ants

The wayward southern continent of Australia is famous for the strange and relictual creatures that have evolved in nearly complete isolation. The ants are no exception. Australia's ant fauna is both diverse and exceptionally abundant, with a host of species found nowhere else.

A Leptomyrmex darlingtoni spider ant climbs a small bush with a larva after the photographer has disturbed her nest. The greatly distended gaster indicates that this ant is a replete who functions within the nest as a living storage chamber for liquids.
Mungkan Kandju National Park, Queensland, Australia